Bible Dictionary
Sop
A sop was a piece of bread dipped into a common dish. Jesus gave such a morsel to Judas at the Last Supper.
Definition
A sop was a thin piece or morsel of bread dipped into a common dish, functioning as an improvised spoon for broth or other food.
Biblical Usage
Jesus dipped a piece of bread into the dish and gave it to Judas at the Last Supper. The practice is also illustrated by the account of Ruth receiving food from a common dish.
Historical Background
In eastern lands where table utensils were not used, food was placed in a large central dish and eaten with pieces of bread dipped into it.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
A morsel of bread (John 13:26; comp. Ruth 2:14). Our Lord took a piece of unleavened bread, and dipping it into the broth of bitter herbs at the Paschal meal, gave it to Judas. (Comp. Ruth 2:14.)
Smith's Bible Dictionary
In eastern lands where our table utensils are unknown, the meat, with the broth, is brought upon the table in a large dish, and is eaten usually by means of pieces of bread clipped into the common dish. The bread so dipped is called. “It was such a piece of bread a sop dipped in broth that Jesus gave to Judas, (John 13:26) and again, in Matt 26:23 It is said “he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish,” i.e. to make a sop by dipping a piece of bread into the central dish.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>sop (psomion): A thin, wafer-like piece of bread dipped into the common dish as a sort of improvised spoon, is thus designated in Joh 13:26 ff.</p><p>See MORSEL.</p>